Chapter 111
Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
Crackle. Zap.
"Keehieh! C-Constellation! Please calm down!"
Calm down. You're telling me to calm down.
After seeing that scene?
Crunch.
"Keeheeeek! Th-the space is warping!"
The goblin's fear-soaked voice rang out.
Well, if the space around you started twisting, even I'd be terrified.
If it collapsed outright, you could plummet into the void. Surviving unscathed would be the weird part.
Crunch.
Ah, but not right now, of course.
In a situation like this, not being scared would be stranger.
And that's because I'm the culprit behind this mess.
But it's unavoidable. There's a real reason I can't help it.
Those slimy bastards dare target our fragile regressor!
Lee Sohwa's second ascension run was about to come crashing down in real time!
They'd been watching from afar just yesterday, but today they suddenly went straight for her with an attack.
Tick. Ticking. Tick.
Part of me wanted to intervene right now.
Even more forcefully than last time, enough to keep them sidelined for days!
[Damn it.]
But for some reason, my power wouldn't budge.
Whenever I tried to break out of this space, it felt blocked, like my power scattered immediately.
I couldn't intervene, send sponsorships, or even messages.
All I could do was swish my tail and stare at the screen, reduced to a helpless spectator.
Hoo... At least she's not dead. That's a relief.
The silver lining was that Lee Sohwa had escaped her attackers unscathed.
The experience of a regressor, I suppose.
If she'd kept fighting there, she would've died 100% for sure.
That massive lion she summoned right before the clash?
Yeah, solid firepower, no doubt. But not enough to gain the upper hand against those attackers.
Even focusing purely on defense, she'd barely slipped away in that razor-thin state.
[Goblin.]
"Ki, kihehehe."
[My power isn't transmitting properly. Fix it quickly.]
"Is that really true?"
I nodded.
Would I just sit here while Lee Sohwa's injured? I'd have sent recovery elixirs already.
Still, the good news is her skills have gotten way more refined after this fight.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
That fit Lee Sohwa perfectly right now.
Look at her already—hiding in the shadows with flawless stealth.
Crackle. Pop.
"Kihehe? This is odd. Even with my authority, I can't resolve it. That means the Tower itself is intervening."
[Then resolve it directly with the Tower.]
"S-sorry! Kihehek. Even Constellations can't initiate talks with the Tower."
[Why not?]
I narrowed my eyes, and the goblin paled.
But it didn't back down, so there must be some ironclad rule.
And sure enough, the goblin's next words confirmed it.
"The Tower has to reach out first. Otherwise, we—and no other Constellations—can converse with it."
So I just had to sit here like this?
Powerless, like some moviegoer staring at a screen?
[I can't do that.]
-So what now?
A dissatisfied mutter got a response—a question in a delicate young boy's bewildered tone, piggybacking on my unintended soliloquy.
[Who are you?]
"Kihehe?"
-Only you can hear my voice. I'm shy, so I don't want more than two chatting.
[I asked who you are.]
"Kihehehe! It's me, the goblin, Constellation!"
-Me? You could say I'm the one you've been looking for.
If it's the one I've been seeking, it's obvious.
I wanted to talk to the Tower right now to fix this mess.
-Anyway, send that guy away first. Keep him here, and I won't say a word.
[Goblin. You're dismissed.]
"U-understood."
The initiative was with them, not me.
The goblin wiped cold sweat and left. Once it was just us, as it wanted, the Tower spoke first.
-Hey, first time chatting like this, right?
[Fix the issues blocking me right now.]
-Yep, one of that auntie's guests. Always pissing me off together. Thought a Constellation might be different, but nope. Wasted hope. You and the Irregulars—you're all annoying.
Blatant hostility.
It lumped me in with all the Irregulars who'd caused it trouble, radiating pure antagonism.
-How do all her touched ones stir up chaos? Getting tips from her or what? I'm genuinely curious.
[...What are you talking about?]
-No? But every single one kicks up a storm?
I couldn't see it.
But the voice let me guess its reaction.
-Ah, got sidetracked. Anyway, I wanted to talk to tell you to wash your hands of this and leave.
[Leave?]
-Yeah. Get out of my Tower. Right. Now!
The Tower issued an eviction notice.
The reason? Obvious from its reactions so far.
[I can't do that.]
-Then should I leak info about this Irregular to other Constellations and have them kill her instead?
[...You think I'd just watch that happen?]
The Tower knew Lee Sohwa was the Irregular.
And it was using that to threaten me.
If I didn't leave now, she'd die right before my eyes.
-Ha! Gonna try force? Fine, you're strong, I'll give you that. But against me and all the Constellations? Not yet.
It was right.
Odin, Zeus, Michael, Satan from before— their power was no joke.
If they and the rest ganged up, I had no chance.
But I can't just turn back here.
I had to clear my trial.
Even if it was borderline impossible, I'd win.
-Hah, really wanna fight? So tiresome.
But the Tower didn't mock me—instead, it sounded exasperated.
-I don't wanna sacrifice my precious Constellations either, so let's compromise.
[Solve all my issues first.]
-Nope.
Crackle.
At that, I instinctively warped the surrounding space with mana.
-Still nope.
But the Tower was firm, unmoved.
No matter what I did, it wouldn't budge.
Realizing that, I scowled and asked.
[Why not?]
-Think about what you've done so far?
Like, figure it out yourself—still don't get it? My face soured.
Talking to me like some delinquent kid who'd screwed up big time.
-Interventions? Overkill. Sponsorships? Already Constellation-tier. Messages? Useless—the Irregular's blind anyway.
[So you want me to just sit here quietly?]
-I'd love to say yes, but you'd throw a fit. Right?
It knew me well.
I nodded curtly instead of answering.
-Fine, deal: one sponsorship. Any value, any type.
[Hm.]
-But the instant you do, you leave the Tower.
Honestly? Not thrilled.
One sponsorship wouldn't clear my trial.
Mine was to be Lee Sohwa's steadfast patron.
...Wait.
Steadfast patron?
[Hm......]
I recalled the trial I'd come here for.
Be Lee Sohwa's steadfast patron.
Not watch her journey to the end.
[Steadfast patron......]
-You're actually pondering it?
What could I do to make her see me as a steadfast patron?
I mulled it over deeply. Watching this, the Tower seemed surprised at my seriousness.
[Tower.]
-Decided?
[Then I'll state my terms too.]
-Ugh, knew it. Fine, what?
Steadfast patron.
To make the trial recognize me as one even after I leave, this was it.
[I want three things.]
-Hah, greedy.
[First: after I leave, don't leak her info to other Constellations.]
-Sure, whatever.
[Second: even after I go, make it seem like I'm still watching her back.]
-Tch. Fine, okay. Last one?
The last one.
Maybe the most crucial.
[Ensure she equips my sponsorship safely.]
-What are you even sponsoring?
[Light.]
-Light?
Yes. I'd give light to the girl who'd lived in darkness.
-Then I add one condition: Floor 5. Finish the sponsorship by then. Past that, other Constellations' eyes gather, and even I can't cover.
[...If that's the reason, fine.]
Fair enough—higher floors drew more Constellation gazes.
I nodded, accepting the Tower's term.
A massively lopsided deal: no interventions, no messages, one sponsorship max—and leave immediately after.
[Farewell comes sooner than I thought.]
But at the end, I'd clear my trial for sure.